 Over the years, the indoor tanning industry has been plagued with inaccuracies from the media. Here’s an example of my response to one such news article, “The Downside of Tanning Your Hide” written by Michael D. Shaw, contributing columnist at www.HealthNewsDigest.com.
Dear Mr. Shaw,
I offer the following (in bold) as clarifications to your recent Web site article, www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Commentary_510/The_Downside_of_Tanning_Your_Hide.shtml.
… “Some years before the SPF rating system came out, tanning salons began to sprout up all across the country, either as self-contained enterprises, or within health clubs. Although tanning devices and sunscreens are subject to certain federal regulations, there is scant regulation of the establishments themselves. A handful of states prohibit tanning salons from making any claims regarding ‘healthy tans.’ Only the cosmetic benefits can be touted.”
Modern tanning traces its origins to late 1979-early 1980. In fact, the federal government prohibits health claims. States have the ability to provide additional regulations. In 1980, the FDA issued 21 CFR 1040.20 (which was slightly modified in 1986). Indoor tanning equipment is listed by the FDA as a Class 1 medical device, but no health claims or claims regarding the relative safety of these products can be made. The Federal Trade Commission monitors such claims. You also may refer to the following Code of Federal Regulations for further clarification. 1. 21 878.4635 UV lamp for tanning. 2. 21 801.4 Meaning of intended uses.
“But, rather than being indicative of good health, it [a tan] is most likely a response to injury, appearing as it does after the UV rays have killed or damaged skin cells.”
While this is true, the public also should be informed that the skin’s response to UV is natural; the oxidation process is engaged in the skin’s effort to protect itself against further damage.
“For their part, based on the established notion that UVB was the bad actor, the tanning industry responded by lowering levels of UVB emitted by their equipment.”
Mr. Shaw, this is an interesting comment, but simply not true. The industry has not, as you claim, “responded by lowering levels of UVB” because it was the “bad actor.” The indoor tanning industry consists of many types of sunbeds and booths, and many with a variety of different strengths and combinations of UVA and UVB. The standard 20-minute indoor tanning session from the late 1980s is still in commercial use today, although many newer units actually have stronger doses and shorter session times all based on skin type. The FDA has not changed its stance that all indoor tanning equipment emit a maximum of 4 Minimal Erythemal Doses per session and all indoor tanning units must comply with this regulation.
“Many dermatologists are blaming the increasing number of young people being diagnosed with melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of cancer, on the tanning industry.”
The American Cancer Society, the Skin Cancer Foundation and others have done a remarkable job creating public awareness regarding skin cancer.
However, it also is apparent that due to this awareness, more people than ever before now are coming in for skin cancer exams. More people and better methods of determining skin cancer certainly has affected the increase in numbers, but this fact is never admitted to the public. Rarely is the public told that most skin cancers—while left unchecked— can become dangerous (basal and squamous) they have an extremely high cure rate when detected early.
Once the risks and benefits of tanning are reviewed, the conclusion is that indoor tanning provides controlled exposure to UV light based on a timed session by skin type as opposed to the uncontrolled output of sunlight. In addition, the risk of erythema is lessened by tanning in the controlled indoor environment which allows for moderation and responsibility.
Regards,
Joe Schuster
Media Liaison Suntanning Association for Education
www.suntanningedu.com
For more information on Light Sources tanning products, visit www.lsitanning.com. If you have a question that you would like answered in this forum, e-mail joe_lsi@bellsouth.net.
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